Shock
by TerraRini
Summary: Ziva tells Tony something he's not prepared for. Will his fight or flight response get the best of him? Rated T on the cautious side...
1. Tony

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine, they belong to CBS or...whoever wrote them. I just like stealing them for snippets of stories.

"Shock"

Tony leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling while the team worked in the bull pen around him. _Click, click, click. _ McGee's fingers tap-tapped at his keyboard, Gibbs answered a call on his cell phone and Tony didn't hear any of it. His hands supported his head, his mouth half open in thought as he reflected on the meeting that had occured only a few moments before.

Ziva had stood beside an open window in their hotel room where they had apprehended an assassin. Ziva had disarmed the killer within two minutes of being in the same room, and after he'd been led off by McGee, She had stood so calmly, her hands at her sides and her eyes full of emotion Tony couldn't identify. As he had neared her to ensure she was unharmed, she looked up, holding her hand up to stop him. Suddenly his stomach had lurched and he felt this uneasy feeling in his gut. She was hurting, but not physically.

He'd stepped forward, engulfing her feminine figure in his muscular arms. "What is it Ziva?" He had asked, feeling an intense desire to bring physical harm to whomever had hurt her. Little could he be prepared for the words that fell from those beautiful lips.

"Tony...you remember the night Gibbs...got shot?"

He had nodded looking down into her eyes, so confused as to where she was going with her reminder. She had shown up at his doorstep in tears, feeling guilty that Gibbs had taken a bullet for her. He had comforted her, and they had gotten...intimate.

His stomach lurched again as he counted the weeks...the time that had passed since that eventful evening. She pulled back away from him, confirmation of her fears in her eyes as she felt the way his body stiffened with the thoughts that ran through his mind.

"Tony, I'm pregnant..."_**Pregnant...pregnant...pregnant...**_

Tony would have liked to have said that he had reacted in the best way he could have, but his reaction had been anything but the right one. It had been the only thing he could do. Instead of reassuring her that everything would be ok, instead of telling her he'd stand by her, instead of pulling her into the comforting hug she so obviously needed, he had simply dropped his arms and turned around, walking out of the room and leaving her standing there in the window, silhouetted by the sunlight shining through the curtain.

He hadn't seen her since, and she had not returned to work afterwards.

_**I'm going to be a father. Is it really mine? Of course it's mine... Ziva isn't the sort of woman to...**_

The bull pen had grown silent, and Tony leaned forward to see Gibbs staring at him with a frown on his face, and McGee absent from his desk.

Gibbs tilted his head slightly. "Problem Tony?" Gibbs asked, walking toward his desk.

Tony shook his head. "No Boss."

_**I'm going to be a daddy. A son... a daughter.. I hope she has her mother's eyes... **_

Gibbs' frown only deepened, but he walked toward the elevator. "Whatever you did Tony, fix it." He said as the door closed with a ding.

Tony took a deep breath and rose from his chair, rubbing his hand over his face for a moment, before heading toward the elevator himself. He had to find Ziva.

He tried calling her cell. _Ring, Ring, Ring. _Nothing.

_**Baseball games. Football... driving lessons..**_

_Bing_ The elevator beeped as he reached the garage and made his way toward his car.

_Vrooom_ The garage echoed with the sound of someone starting their vehicle. Tony climbed into his shiny sports car, and turned the key in the ignition. His own car roared to life as he backed out of the parking space and made his way out of the garage, wondering where he would find her.

He didn't expect it to be as easy as it was. Her car was in the parking lot to her apartment, so he parked and went up, wondering what he would say. Wondering how she would receive him.

_**Telling her she's beautiful, just like her mom...**_

_Thunk, Thunk_ His fist hit the door, knocking twice. He waited...listening for the faint woosh of footsteps he never heard coming as the door clicked open. She stood there, her eyes red, her cheeks stained with tears and his heart melted. He wished Gibbs were here for the ever familiar, most often necessary, slap to the back of the head. Instead he heard the _Crack_ that usually came with it in his head as he mentally slapped himself.

"Ziva..." He said softly, as she stepped back away from the door and he stepped in after her, closing the door behind him.

_**I'm an idiot...how could I just walk away from her?...**_

Ziva reached the living room of her apartment and turned around to face him, as he once again walked forward and enveloped her into her his arms, holding her close.

_**We are a perfect fit. She fits so well in my arms, and I love the smell of her hair...the brown of those beautiful, expressive eyes, that sassy attitude...**_

She looked up into his eyes, and saw there the confirmation she had looked for earlier, the reassurance that he'd be there for her through all of it and tears started falling afresh as he leaned down, softly kissing each one away as he held her close to him.


	2. Ziva

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I love it anyway!

Chapter 2.

It was a quiet saturday morning that Ziva's world changed. She'd risen early to get to work before the rest of the team to finish up some paperwork before Tony arrived to distract her from her task. She was about to walk out the door only her eye had caught on her calendar which hung above a hook for her coat and the date stuck out in her mind...something was missing. She counted the days, and went back and counted them again. It had been three weeks..and she still hadn't started.

She sucked her lower lip in and chewed on it, realizing she hadn't had any of the usual symptoms...no cramps, her mood had not suffered its usual dip. Her stomach lurched as the thought crossed her mind. _**I can't be. I take it faithfully every night...**_

She walked out the door, waiting to hear the click of the latch behind her as she started out into the early morning air. It was not quite quiet, but not as busy as it would be in an hour or so when people got up and started their routine trips to work. She glanced down at her stomach, still flat and toned as she made her way to the bus stop. _**We were careful... but I'm late, and I'm never late. I haven't been stressed beyond the normal scope of things..I have not changed my diet..my routine...there's no reason I should be late.. unless...**_

Ziva stepped up onto the bus for the ride to work. Further on down the bus was the usual murmer of people making polite conversation with eachother. They were the usuals. The same people she rode to work with every morning. And none of them worked at NCIS. _Beep, Beep_. A vehicle passing the bus nearly drove them into the curb trying to pass on busy city streets. Ziva rolled her eyes as the bus came to a stop near a local pharmacy. She bit her lip, and then walked forward, the hiss of the break and the latch of the door creaking as she neared the door. Two passengers came on as she got off. _**I guess I'd rather know for sure..**_

Her footsteps were loud in her own ears as she walked into the pharmacy, making her way down the aisles of products until she found the right one, picking up a First Response test. Ziva fingered the box in her hands for a moment, unsure about whether she really wanted to know or not. But she was a week late. She was rarely ever a day off..to be a full week off was unusual.

An hour later, she stood in the bathroom at NCIS, pacing back and forth waiting for her two minutes to be up. _** Why is it that these two minutes seem to be taking an hour? That clock can't be right...**_ _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _

Before the first thirty seconds had passed, the indicator lines had appeared. Ziva stood there, staring at them without seeing them, hearing the clock's tick echoing in her mind as she tried to register what she was seeing. She was usually so fast...so adept at processing information that she assimilated new facts without pause. _**But I can't be...what will Tony say?**_

She threw everything back into the bag from the pharmacy and threw it away. _Thunk_ The bag hit the bottom of the shallow trash can in the women's room, and Ziva walked out of the room, leaving the loud _Tick Tock_ of the clock behind her.

She sat at her desk, staring blankly at the paperwork she had intended to accomplish until Gibbs came in and sat at his desk. _Click. _Pause. _Click. _ He typed at the keyboard hesitantly, a moment between each key as he searched for the next. Just as Tony and McGee came in, Gibbs phone rang.

Tony smiled at Ziva, and she smiled back a half-hearted smile as she realized _**I'll have to tell him..**_ McGee set a small box of chocolates on her desk. She looked up, confused. "What are those for, Tim?"

She saw Tony's eyebrow rise in curiosity at the chocolates, and at her casual use of McGee's first name. _**I've known for a long time that he liked me...and that I liked him.. This was not the way I would have wanted a relationship with him to start...**_

McGee smiled. "For cooking supper for Abs and I last night..she asked me to give them to you."

Tony seemed to relax, Ziva noticed. _**So that's how it is. You're jealous, when you think someone else is paying me attention...**_

Ziva smiled to McGee as Gibbs called across the room. "Get your gear, got a tip." _**Should I tell Gibbs? No...Tony needs to know first..**_

After they'd apprehended the assassin in the hotel room, Ziva had looked out the window, her mind wandering. _**Will Tony want to be a part of our lives? Will he do the right thing? What is the right thing? **_

Tony had walked over to her then, and she wondered to herself if she could get the words out. He had wrapped his arms around her, and she felt so safe in that embrace, so comforted by his action, and surprised by it too. "Tony...you remember the night Gibbs...got shot?"

She saw the gears working in his mind, saw him working out the dates. Felt his arm muscles stiffen. _**Oh God. "**_Tony, I'm pregnant..."_**Pregnant...pregnant...pregnant...There, I said it. **_

She felt him pull away mentally before he ever released her arms from his embrace, and she felt her stomach twist into a knot as he backed up a pace and then turned and left the room without a word. She felt tears forming in her eyes as she realized she was scared. She, Ziva, former Mossad agent, current NCIS special agent Ziva David...was scared. A sob escabed her before she could rein in her emotions, just in time for Gibbs to walk in.

He paused in the doorway looking at her with those knowing eyes. He knew something had happened. Hopefully he wouldn't know what. "Gibbs...Something came up, I need the afternoon off.."

Gibbs opened his mouth to tell her to write up the report, but by the look in her eyes changed his mind. "Go." he said, grabbing her tool box as she walked out of the room quickly.

The bus ride home was hard to endure, but ever the well trained good little soldier, Ziva made it home before breaking down into tears. She locked the door of her little apartment and rested her back against the doorframe for a moment, wanting to give in to the overwhelming urge to sink to the floor and let her tears come there, but she forced herself past the door and into the living room, where she sat down on the floor in front of the couch and gave in.

_**I know he will come around, he'll see..how much I need him...how much we...**_

She looked down at her stomach, tears stinging her cheeks as they fell, following the slight curve of her jaw to drip down onto the cloth of her shirt, just above her navel. _**We...**_ And she sobbed even harder.

A while later, she got up from the floor and dried her tears. Her stomach was rumbling, and no matter how upset she was, she knew that at least for the moment, she needed to think beyond herself, so she fixed herself a bowl of white rice, and some left-over chicken from last night's supper with Abby and McGee.

She was just about to eat when she heard the knock on her door and felt her stomach flip with the knowledge that Tony stood on the other side of that thin panel of wood. She walked toward the door, her hand hesitating just before the knob. _**I can do this...if he wants nothing to do with his child, so be it...I'll raise it myself...if it's a girl...I'll name her Tally...**_She shook her head softly and pulled the door open, feeling herself sway with the unexpected emotions of seeing him. _**I love him...I hate him...I can't live without him..we'll never make it..We have to make it..it's not just us anymore.. **_

She lifted her eyes to meet his and was shocked to see acceptance, and even, _**Could it be? **_A little excitement. She could not stop the fresh flow of tears as she realized that no matter how afraid Tony was of the commitment he was making, he would make it for the right reasons...not just because he was honor bound to be there for a child he had helped to create, but because he loved her.

He held his arms out to her and she moved into them, turning her face up for the kiss she had hoped would come hours before. _**But this is TONY...Ziva, how could you expect anything different?**_ Everything was going to be alright...they could be happy together...but..._**What's Gibbs going to say?**_

_**A/N: **_So What do you think? Please give opinions, suggestions, criticisms, etc..in review! I'm having fun with it...may be more chapters to come if I get some helpful reviews!


	3. Beans, Ziva Beans!

Shock 3

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters...but I like to play with them anyway!

Ziva and Tony sat beside each other on the couch, music playing from Ziva's stereo system while they talked. Sunlight filtered through the curtains lighting the room and the music played softly. Ziva's eyes still glittered with the tears that had fallen just a short while before, and Tony stroked his fingers through her dark hair in an attempt to sooth them away.

"I'm so sorry, Ziva. I...was selfish, and afraid...I mean, I look forward to having children...a...child...but I had thought it would be a while..you know?"

Ziva snickered, leaning against his side. She knew exactly what he meant. "Yes. I know Tony...I cannot force you to help me raise the child, but I do wish to.."

"What will your father say?" He asked her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I am more worried about what Gibbs will say." She replied, angling her face to look up to him. She wrapped her arms around one of his, while the other continued to stroke her hair softly.

He laughed softly. "True...one of us will have to leave the team."

"I will."

He paused, looking at her in surprise. "I didn't expect that to be so easy."

She smiled. "The life of an agent, or officer, is not the life of a mother...I grew up with out my mother..I do not want that for my child. If I had remained a Mossad Officer, I would have resigned as well, for the safety of my child."

Tony nodded, resuming the soft rhythmic combing of her hair with his fingers. It was as soothing to him as he hoped it was for her. He was relieved. He had been raised in the traditional view that it was the man's job to provide for the family.

"So what's next, Ziva?" He asked, moving the hand that had been combing through her dark locks to cover one of her hands.

She smiled again. "We tell Gibbs...Abby..McGee. Ducky." She sighed. "Our families."

"Shouldn't we know whether we are going to get married...have a due date, be able to stand up to the interrogation?" He asked, hugging her gently, sliding one hand down to cover her stomach in a protective way. His hand moved subconsciously, already he was becomming protective of the life that grew within her. The life they had created together.

He looked down into pools of dark brown that looked back up at him. An intense emotion was building up between them, a tangible tension that seemed pressing on both of them as he lowered his head to press a tender kiss to her lips. As their lips met, it was as if his stomach exploded with nerves he hadn't realized he felt, and as she responded, his stomach relaxed. If she hadn't wanted to kiss, she would have decked him by now.

She pulled away from the kiss a moment later. "I do not want to get married because we are having a baby, Tony." She informed him, watching as his eyes seemed to grow confused. "No.. I want to be with you, to get to know you better...we have known eachother a long time, but never..intimately before. We should not...what is the phrase, jump the gun, yes? Later, if we decide we can make things work between us, then we can get married, if that is what we both want."

He understood what she was saying, but it was hard for him, who believed that if you got a girl pregnant you married her to make an honest woman out of her, but Ziva seemed content with her decision, so he nodded. "Okay. So when do you want to tell the team?"

Ziva smiled. "I have an appointment tomorrow to confirm..."

He broke in, interrupting her. "You mean you haven't confirmed it?"

She lifted away from him, turning around to face him better. "I went through four pregnancy tests before I said anything to you today Tony..."

He laughed. "Oh...the first two weren't enough?"

She tilted her head to the side slightly. "I was not sure I was reading them correctly." She said defensively. "I thought after the appointment tomorrow we could tell everyone. The appointment is in the morning, so unless we have a case, we can spill the peas at lunch time... "

Tony groaned. "Beans, Ziva...beans.."

"What?" She asked, looking so innocently confused that Tony could not help but press another kiss to her lips.

A/N Review Review Review! (Sorry it's short...holidays you know!)


	4. Show off

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I love them anyway!

Chapter 4:

Neither one of them felt tired enough to go to bed, both too caught up in emotions over the idea of having a baby together. Tony had fixed a bowl of popcorn and sat tossing one after another in the air and catching them in his mouth. He paused and looked over to her where she sat all curled up on the couch and snug under a throw blanket. The blanket was dark brown and the color of it matched her eyes. He smiled. "I hope he has your brown eyes."

Ziva laughed. "She will..."

Tony tossed up another popcorn and missed. Over Ziva's giggling, he asked "What makes you so sure it's a girl?"

Ziva smiled. "just my gut feeling."

Tony groaned. "gut feelings...you and Gibbs and your gut feelings!" Tony stood up and walked into the kitchen after a drink to wash down the popcorn. "Wanna beer?" He asked without thinking as he reached into the fridge to grab one for himself.

"Tony..." He heard her call from the other room just as it clicked in his own head.

"Oh yeah, right. Can I get you something else to drink?" He asked, closing the refrigerator door and setting his beer on the counter.

She came out into the kitchen with a smile on her face. "I'd tell you how to make a smoothie but then I'd have to kill you." She said, walking to the fridge and taking out a few things, then to the counter where she started adding ingredients one at a time to the blender.

Tony walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her mid-section and pressing a kiss to the back of her neck his hand rubbing over her belly softly. "It's so weird." He shook his head and reached for his beer and slipping away from her.

Ziva nodded, watching as he lifted the beer from the counter. She added some strawberries to her smoothie. "I know it looks kind of gross but it is...delicious." She said with a smile as she pushed one of the buttons on the blender and watched it puree its contents.

Tony rolled his eyes, leaning against the door frame. "Not the smoothie, Ziva. The baby."

"Oh." She said, as she stopped the blender and poured its contents into a glass and then rinsed the blender out. When she had finished, she picked up her smoothie and then walked toward him. "I know it's different...it will be hard for me to give up my position at NCIS..for that reason I wish we did not have to tell Gibbs...he will insist..it is in the policy.."

"They can't fire you for being pregnant Ziva."

Ziva laughed. "No, but they do not allow inter-office relationships, do they Tony?" She asked as she took a sip of her smoothie.

Tony led the way back into the livingroom, thinking about her question. No, they did not allow inter-office relationships...and if one or the other of them didn't give up their position..they could lose their jobs. He sighed as he sat down on the couch where he'd been sitting before. Knowing how much Ziva loved her job made it harder to think she'd have to give it up. "Hey...what if...I mean.." He realized that what he was about to say was going to sound like he was backing out..he tried to think of a way to say it that wouldn't end in him either getting kicked or having a pillow thrown at him. "What if..we keep our relationship a secret?"

Ziva raised an eyebrow and turned her full attention from the smoothie to him. "You mean lie to the rest of the team?"

Tony shook his head. "It's not really lying..if we just don't say anything.."

Ziva frowned. "No, Tony..we have to tell them. It would be wrong not to...they are our family.."

Suddenly Tony wondered what would happen when she told Eli.. he wasn't so sure he wanted to be there for that family conference. He shook his head to clear the sudden ringing in his ears and nodded. "You're right. We have to tell them."

They moved closer on the couch, and Ziva grabbed a hand-full of popcorn, tossing a piece into the air and catching it with ease.

Tony looked at her, then stuck out his tongue before taking a sip of his beer. "Show off."

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. They should come a little more regularly now that the holidays are over, but my family has been infected with a rotten cold for the past few weeks, so it will depend on children allowing me to sit long enough to type up the next chapter. As usual, review review review!


	5. The Unexpected

Disclaimer: I don't own em, but I like playin with them!

Chapter 5.

Shock

**Thunk** The car shuttered as they drove over the speed bump and into the garage beneath the NCIS office building. Tony and Ziva were both thinking about the moment soon to come when one or the other, or maybe both, would be out of a job. They had decided to tell the team before they started in on the day's work, because Gibbs could easily send them separate ways and they wouldn't get another chance for the day. Tony's hand came to rest gently on Ziva's as he slowed the car to a stop on their floor, for only a moment before he reached down to shift the car into park.

_It's going to be ok. Gibbs will be happy for us, even if it means splitting up the team...so will everyone else. _Ziva thought as she climbed out of the car and swung the metal door closed with another **Thunk**. It was echoed by that of Tony's door as he walked around to join her. She half wanted him to wrap his arm around her, to reassure her and ease the churning in her stomach that was half nerves half morning sickness.

Tony wanted to hold her, but they were so new to the idea of a relationship between them. They had been so long going back and forth on whether they could make it work or not, and Tony had never...never thought that Ziva would put up with the drama of a workplace relationship. He loved her enough to spend the rest of his life with her but he was unsure of how to proceed...should he hold her hand? Kiss her? Wrap his arms around her and draw her close to feel the feminine form of her body against his.. he shook his head to clear it of those thoughts as the elevator rolled to a stop. **Whirrrr **The doors opened and they stepped in.

**Whirrr, squeak** The hulking box-lift rumbled up to the floor Ziva had selected, coming to a halt with a jolt that made her eyes roll in an effort to keep her stomach down. **Whirrr **Suddenly they were facing the bull pen, and most of their team, their family, already there. Abby and Ducky were upstairs this morning chatting lively with McGee. _Oh God...I don't know if I can do this..._Ziva thought as she stepped out of the elevator and into the main office area of NCIS.

Tony stepped out beside her, nudging her arm softly in a casual attempt to reassure her without being too obvious. He was still holding out hope that Ziva could at least keep a desk job at NCIS for the duration of her pregnancy..._maybe Gibbs wont pass the word on to the director about me and Ziva being in a relationship.. Which would mean she could keep working here._ His gaze wandered the bull pen and up to the balcony above, but Gibbs was no where to be seen. _Good...I'd rather tell him when it's just him anyway.._

They approached their desks, but instead of separating and going to their own, Ziva stopped in front of hers, and waited for the chatter to die down so that she could tell them and Tony moved around to sit on the corner of her desk beside her.

Ducky's eyes moved to rest on Tony, and then Ziva, and he frowned. He hadn't thought there'd been much going on between the two agents recently, but here they were acting all nervous together..as if they were about to announce that they were to be enganged. He raised a brow, not answering a question that McGee asked, and ending the conversation between the three of them, bringing everyone's attention to the two new arrivals.

"What is it?" He asked, his tone full of curiosity and at the same time he felt a growing unease in his gut. Ziva held herself in an unusual position arms crossed, while Tony sat in front of her, almost protectively. Something seemed very out of sorts.

Tony looked up over his shoulder at Ziva. They hadn't discussed who would be the one to make the actual announcement, or what they would do if Gibbs were not there with the rest of the time. **Ahem** "Where's Gibbs" he asked, looking back to the rest of the team.

Ducky's voice, filled with accent, responded. "He called to say he'd be in later on."

Ziva nodded, and then taking a deep breath she started to talk. "We're um.." **Click Click. **Someone in another part of the office was typing loudly across their keyboard and suddenly it seemed like they were pounding on a set of drums. "We have some news to share, Tony and I...uh..."

"Well spit it out Ziva!" Ducky said, shaking his head, with half a smile.

Tony put a hand up, drawing Ziva forward and wrapping an arm around her waist. "We're going to have a baby." he said simply. It didn't matter what the team thought, not really, but he hoped they would be happy for him and Ziva. He smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her arm, as she wrapped them both around his shoulders.

Ducky's smile faltered for only a breif second. _Now that I didn't see coming.._ "Well congratulations then, my boy!" he said, coming forward to pat Tony on the shoulder and then wrapping his arms around Ziva to press a kiss to her cheek. "And to you as well my dear."

Abby sprang forward from McGee's desk too, practically pouncing on them the second Ducky had stepped back. Since they were close together she just hugged both of them. _I knew it! I knew the test was hers!_ Abby thought to herself, having come across the test in the facility trash can a couple days before. "I'm SO happy for you two!"

But McGee just sat there staring blankly at Tony. _I never would have imagined he'd be mature enough to stick around...I wonder if he'll make a good father..I wonder what Gibbs will say. _His eyes wandered up to Ziva, who met his gaze with a confused look. He was the last person she expected to object to their condition. _It will mean that the team will be breaking up...I can't believe he took such a risk.. he's such an idtiot. _He sighed. It meant a lot of changes he wasn't sure he was ready for, but he offered a smile anyway, standing up and walking over to them to shake Tony's hand and kiss Ziva's cheek softly. "Congratulations you two." He said before walking back to his desk and settling in to finish his search. **Click click. **

A/N: So yeah..I think that McGee, who has grown so accustomed to having Tony be the big brother and the immature prankster at the same time would be the most bothered by Tony "screwing up" in a way that jeapardizes Ziva's job, and happiness, or his own. Comments/Critiques welcome!


	6. Gibbs

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I enjoy writing stories involving them :D

Chapter 6

Shock

Gibbs gently sanded the ribs of yet another boat by hand, each stroke of the paper a ghosting **Sssp** sound across the wood as he listened again to the beautiful sound of his daughter's voice on the tape replaying on his recorder. **I love you daddy. Jethro we love you** playing over and over in his mind as some of the last words his daughter and wife had ever said to him. He no longer cried over their loss, but it still pained him, his mind wandered on to more recent relationships with the echo of his daughter's voice in his mind.

_Kelley, some day I'll hold you again, some day I'll look down into your beautiful eyes, see your gorgeous smile, and hear that laugh...that musical laugh.._ He took a deep breath as he finished sanding the part he'd been working on for the past hour, running his hand slowly over the delicious smelling wood feeling for burrs or nicks that would leave splinters in the wood. He found none..she was turning out to be perfect..

He had just tossed the paper onto his work-table when he heard the first step on the cellar stairwell creak. He turned, knowing the familiar pace of Dinozzo before he saw the figure descending the stairs. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

Tony's voice came back as clear and sure as ever. "Aren't you?" He asked.

Gibbs noticed that Ziva's lighter steps followed Tony's and he frowned. "What's up?" He asked, suddenly alarmed. The two often came to visit separately, but rarely together, and even more rarely, when they were supposed to be at work solving a case.

"We..needed to talk to you, Boss." Tony said, noting that Gibbs usual glass and his spare (empty mason jars which often contained nails or screws, and just as often contained an alcoholic beverage..) were upside down on a towel, an indication that whatever drink had been in it had been rinsed out recently, and that Gibbs had recently had company.

Tony put that thought aside...they had much more important business to tend to. _Oh, dear Gibbs, how do we tell you you're losing one of your team members?_ He thought to himself. Gibbs rarely took on probationary officers...he hated dealing with the new people that the Directer was always sending him..especially after the big fiasco with Langer and Lee and the whole mole thing..

His mind had wandered over these thoughts in only a second or two's worth of time as Ziva descended the stairs coming to rest in her usual spot, on a stool near the boat, only instead of fixing herself a glass, she simply sat there.

Gibbs noticed. He seemed to tilt his head ever so slightly as he looked over to her. "Help yourself, Ziva." He suggested, as he neared her, noticing as he did how she held herself so uncomfortably. "You two are acting suspicious.."

Ziva smirked. "Gibbs, I'm expecting."

Gibbs looked bewildered. "Expecting what?" He asked, as he reached for his "Glass."

Ziva laughed softly, watching him as he moved without thinking. Today they were all on call, if needed for a case, or if Abby had a new development in the lab. They were not supposed to be drinking when there was the possibility that they could be called in to work. "A baby."

Gibbs nearly dropped his glass, but the expression on his face as he looked up to Ziva was not what she was expecting. They'd convinced themselves that Gibbs would be unhappy with having to train a new agent, he'd be upset that he was losing Ziva as a member of his team. They figured he'd be angry that they'd been irresponsible, having such unexpected (though not unlikely, they realized) results. But he was smiling.

And it wasn't that "I can't believe it" smile..it was a sincere he was happy for her smile. Tony analyzed while they all seemed to freeze for a moment. Then he realized that Gibbs didn't get the rest of it...Gibbs was happy for Ziva...He cleared his throat and moved to stand beside Ziva, pressing his hand onto hers. "We're expecting, Gibbs."

For a moment, Gibb's smile faltered, but then recovered. "I should have known..." He laughed. "I guess congratulations are in order then." He said, filling a glass for Tony and himself, and raising it to Ziva. "May you have a healthy happy child, and may parenthood be a blessing to you both." He pressed a kiss to Ziva's cheek, and held out his hand to Tony. "You'll make a wonderful father, Dinozzo."

Ziva let out the breath she'd been holding since she'd made her announcement. Whatever happened, it would be easier knowing Gibbs was ok with them...

A/N: Ok, so I got ...seriously...one review on the last chapter. *weep* I need feedback peoples! What are your thoughts? Suggestions on how to make the story better are always welcome! I prefer a suggestion over "its good." or "keep going" cause we all need a little spurring on here and there and sometimes I get stuck on how to proceed. Plllleeeeeaaaaaassssseeeee Review!


	7. We have Ziva

Disclaimer: Characters/Settings not mine, but the story is.. created entirely for self entertainment and shared solely out of desire to be friendly.

Chapter 7

Shock

After telling Gibbs and receiving his blessings on whatever they decided, Tony and Ziva headed upstairs, and out into the light, having to pause a few moments inside to allow their eyes to adjust to daylight again. Tony drove the two of them back to Ziva's apartment so she could rest and then go get groceries. They had a meeting planned for that evening with Director Vance. Ziva climbed out of Tony's sports car and went up to her apartment, her mind much more settled than it had been that morning when preparing to tell Gibbs the news they had...Vance was important, but not as important as Gibbs..Gibbs who had so neatly replaced her father.

She knew she should tell him..she should somehow let Eli know that she was expecting..but she knew he would not approve. She wondered how he would react. Her stomach lurched at the thought as her key turned in the lock. **Click**. She opened the door and walked in, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to set the alarm so she would not sleep past three. The meeting was at six that evening. That would give her time to get groceries, bring them home and put them away, and then get back to the office.

She had just finished setting the alarm on her phone when she heard a rustle behind her but before she could turn whoever stood behind her had wrapped their arms around her and put a cloth to her face. Before she could drop her phone everything seemed to go hazy, then faded to darkness and her phone slipped from her hand, falling to the floor. **Thunk.**

Tony watched as Ziva walked up the steps to her appartment building door. Everything still seemed so unreal. He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief as he pushed down on the gas pedal and slowly pulled back into the road. The engine **prrr**ed as he headed to the office. Once there, he took the elevator up to their little part of the building, smiling at McGee as he sat down at his desk.

**Ring...Ring ** Somewhere a phone rang as McGee got up from his desk and walked over to Tony's. His shoes were silent on the carpeted floor, but Tony could hear the soft **Swish** of his pants as they rubbed against each other with each step.

"How did Gibbs take it?" McGee asked as he sat on the corner of Tony's desk.

Tony smiled. "He took it better than you did...so what's your issue Mcbook? Our little surprise doesn't fit into your next novel?"

Tim tilted his head. _Why does it bother me?_ He shook his head softly. "I am just surprised at you...you're usually so careful...and Ziva...well let's just say I'd have expected it from you, but not from her."

Tony laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Well, it wasn't exactly in the plans, McGeek. That doesn't change anything though..." His face grew serious. _I've loved her for a long time..._ He shrugged. "What's on the agenda today?"

Tim stood up and walked back to his desk. "Nothing.. no open cases. I am just finishing up the paperwork from that last case."

Tony leaned forward, **Click, Tap, Tap** sounded the mouse and a few of the keys on his keyboard as he typed in the password to his email. Most of the messages in his email were spam, despite the filters that McGee had installed to block such things, but one of the email messages caught his eye. Tony frowned, clicking open the email.

_**To: T_DiNozzoNCIS**_

_**From: Anonymous**_

_** Subject: Your move**_

Below the contact portion of the email was one line, underlined and in blue, a link.

"We have Ziva."

Tony's stomach lurched. "Timothy.." he said, his voice shaky as he read the words. He moved the mouse over the link as he waved McGee over.

McGee moved pretty quick for not knowing what was going on. He could hear the panic in Tony's voice. "What's up?"

Tony clicked on the link as Tim reached his side. A window popped up, opening a video. The video began without him having to click on a play button.

First, the camera was angled at the floor, as if someone was holding it down and didn't realize it. Then suddenly it rose upward and came to rest on a figure in a chair. The room lit just enough to make out Ziva's features, but not well enough to see much else. She was unconcious, or sleeping, but the lighting was good enough to see that she was breathing.

**We have Ziva. ** Came a distorted voice from somewhere behind the camera, and then suddenly everything went black. Not just the pop up window, but the entire computer. McGee slid the keyboard closer to himself and started pushing keys. **Tap-tap-tap** came the quick key strokes, but to no affect. The computer was fried.

McGee looked at Tony, whose complexion matched his own pale color, his face contorted into a look of anguish. Tony was frozen with shock.

McGee picked up his phone and dialed Ziva's number. There was no answer. He quickly followed that up with a call to Gibbs, who told McGee to meet him at Ziva's apartment. Tim called Abby next.

A/N: Story needed a little excitement. :D Advice, comments, suggestions all welcome! So sorry for the delay in updating.. will try to have the next chapter posted by this weekend!


	8. There's More, Eli

Shock

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or locations. I do not sell these fanfictions, or use them for any other gain other than personal entertainment.

Tony just sat there staring at the screen as McGee gathered up his bag while talking to Abby on the phone.

"No, Abby, I think he's in shock...should we call an ambulance?" Tim paused, lifting his eyes to look at Tony before he moved toward the elevator to meet Gibbs. "I called Gibbs, I'm supposed to go meet him at Ziva's. I don't want to leave him alone, but I have to go..every minute wasted...Yes, if you or Ducky want to come talk to him, maybe you could get some info out of him...like what time he dropped Ziva off..He's totally not talking..just staring at his computer. It's dead...it won't even turn on. Whoever did this must've used some nasty virus.."

Tony remained outwardly motionless, but inside his brain was running a million miles an hour as he ran through names of people who might have something against him or Ziva. Who knew? Why would they contact him, and not someone else on the team...they had only just announced their relationship earlier today.. .. so whoever had taken Ziva was either in the office, or had been watching them. Where could she be? Was she ok? What had they done to bring this on themselves. No names stuck out in Tony's mind as likely grudge bearers.

Suddenly Abby was in his face, and though his mind wanted to focus on the questions he had to ask, Abby wasn't going to give him that chance.

"Tony. Tony, come on man listen to me. Gibbs wants to know what time you dropped Ziva off." Tony didn't respond, so Abby stood in front of him and slapped his cheek. **Thhwack**

"Huh?" Tony asked, focusing on Abby in front of him. "I dropped her off about 10 minutes after we left Gibb's house.. just a little while before I got here..Nothing looked unusual about the outside of the apartment building...I didn't notice anyone lurking around or anything..."

Tony rambled, but Abby listened carefully. The first time he told it, it was less likely to contain fabricated memories.

Abby nodded, wrapping an arm through Tony's and lifting to indicate he should stand up. She guided him, still sort of dazed, toward a vending machine where she bought him a soda, and then she walked with him to the elevator. A few moments later they were sitting in her lab and Abby was relaying the information to Gibbs from her cell phone while Tony sat and stared at Abby's computer.

Meanwhile: Director Vance sat in his office, his hand hovering over the numbers on his phone console. It was up to hime, it seemed, to deliver more than one piece of bad news to the Director of Mossad, Eli David. The screen across the room relayed various news reports at a low volume. "And in Iraq, another suicide bombing has taken the lives of 3 american sol..."

He tuned it out, lifting the hand-piece of his phone and quickly dialing the number to contact Eli.

**Bbbrrring.. Brrrrinng...**

The sound of the director's voice came over the phone in a friendly greeting, until Vance spoke the words he'd dreaded speaking.

**She's been what!**

"Abducted, Eli, from her home. We don't know who, or why. Gibbs and his team are obviously doing everything they can. There's...more, Eli."

**Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. ** The sound of his heart rang in his ears in the breif silence that followed his announcement.

**More, Leon?**

"Ziva informed us today that she's expecting."

The silence that met his ears this time was even more deafening, and seemed to last an eternity before there was a sudden click, the sound of Director David hanging up.

"Well...that went as well as I expected"

Author's Note:

Ok, so I know it's short, and I know it's been forever getting to it. I've had writer's block like you wouldn't believe and only just found a way I wanted to play this chapter out. The next chapter should come quickly...within the next week. Hopefully by tomorrow but I can't promise the creativity I'm feeling right now will last...I've been dealing with a lot the past month or two. Thank you to those readers who have continued to read! And a huge hug to those who have reviewed!

My thanks!


	9. Little Ballerina

Disclaimer: I don't own them, just love whoever writes them!

Shock:

Chapter 9

**Pppphhhhhhh. Whirr. Pppphhhhh. Whirrrr. **

She heard a door open and close, and then felt something soft on her face, and then Ziva slept again.

*She raised her foot, then touched her toes to her leg, balanced carefully on one foot with her hands raised and pointed toward eachother above her head. Tali giggled, and shook her head. "Ziva you'll fall over." She said, as Ziva struggled to maintain her balance. Suddenly Tali's face got serious, and she looked toward where their mother was busy folding their clothing neatly into a basket.

Ziva dropped her leg to the floor and punched her sister in the arm. "I'm going to be the best ballerina on stage..." She told Tali as her little sister started crying.

"Ziva!" They heard their mother's voice coming from the other side of the main room of their little house, their new...little house. Ziva wished her father were here. He'd have seen it, and he'd have complimented her on her punch. Instead Ziva turned to face her mother, dropping her eyes because she knew her mother didn't like them fighting...she knew that her mother had taken them from their father because of his fighting and teaching them to fight.*

**Pppphhhhhhh. Whirr. Pppphhhhh. Whirrrr.**

Ziva opened her eyes as she felt a sharp cramp in her abdomen. She tried to move her hands over her stomach, but they were bound behind her back. Her shoulders tingled from falling asleep. The room was poorly lit, except for a small pinpoint of light coming from the same direction as the whirring sound she kept hearing. _Is that...a computer? _ Ziva tried to look closer, but the lighting in the room was so poor she couldn't make out the shape around the blinking light, though she assumed it must be a computer of some sort. _Maybe...if I can get my hands free.._ **Tch...tcchh...**The tape crinkled but wouldn't tear as she struggled against it. _Yeah...that's gonna be tough..ooooowwwwwww..._She wished she could bunch herself into a ball as another cramp worked its way through her abdomen.

Meanwhile: Back at Ziva's appartment, Gibbs carefully moves around trying to determine how someone could sneak up on Ziva. _Where could she be? _ He heard McGee rifling through stuff in Ziva's living room while he went over the hall with a fine toothed comb. He dusted carefully, taping every finger-print and adding it to the evidence bag. They were no closer to finding out anything about Ziva's abduction by the time they left, and both of them were a little depressed about it.

"Boss.." McGee started, but Gibbs held his hand up.

"McGee, we'll find her.. and they'll all be fine."

McGee nodded, hoping that Gibbs was right, afraid that if he was wrong, they would not only lose Ziva and her unborn baby, but Tony as well.

A little while later, Abby was poring over the delivered evidence, scanning fingerprints into the computer for comparisons. **Beep. Bleep. Beep. ** The computer continued to compare fingerprints as Abby went over them. There had really been no other evidence. McGee had input the photos from the phorensics camera into the computer, but there had been no sign of a struggle...they were essentially pictures of the apartment exactly as it had been the last time Tony had seen it.

Tony sat Abby's office in the lab, still staring blankly into space in shock.

Finally Gibbs walked past Abby where she stood watching the computer do it's thing and into her office, where a **Thwaaack** accompanied the pain in the back of Tony's head. "Hey, Tony!"

Tony looked up at Gibbs, confusion playing strongly across his face. "Yeah boss?" He asked sullenly.

Gibbs frowned at him, leaning over him, one hand on the back of the chair Tony sat in, the other on the desk in front of him. "What are you going to do?"

"Do...what can I do?" Tony despaired.

"What can you do, Dinozzo? I'll tell you what you can't do...you can't let the woman you love...the woman who is carrying YOUR CHILD...down.. has anyone threatened you? Has anyone threatened Ziva?"

Tony only shook his head. He had been racking his brains trying to remember even the mildest threats..but no one had threatened him in years, and Ziva had not mentioned anything. "No Boss."

"Okay then, now what did you see in the video?" Gibbs steely eyes gazed into Tony's, his intense look almost too much for the distraught special agent.

"I saw Ziva."

"I know you saw Ziva, Tony, or we wouldn't be here. What else did you see?"

"Nothing Gibbs, just an empty room...she was sitting on a chair, she had her hands tied behind her back. The walls were grayish..they could have been cement. There was no outside light..no windows, just a little lamp...it was a desk lamp, the type that clamps onto something. It was clamped on a table or something beside the camera. That's it. There wasn't anything else."

Gibbs shook his head, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder. "What of Ziva? Was she hurt?" His voice was softer now, less intense, less insistant.

"She looked okay, no visible wounds, but she was unconcious. I could see her breathing."

Gibbs nodded, only slightly relieved. How had her abductor managed to take her without a fight? Ziva would've done everything within her power to escape.. unless someone took her completely off guard...she would have had to have been unconcious before she had time to react...it would have had to have been a very fast drug, Gibbs thought to himself as he gave Tony a little more room.

"Okay Tony, now what?"

Before he had a chance to respond, Vance walked into Abby's lab. "Now Tony goes home and gets some rest. He's off the case..too personal."

Gibbs stood up, looking at Vance with a look of rather intense frustration. "Too personal? How else do you expect us to get Ziva back? This is too personal for all of us, Leon. We're a family, and we look after ours."

Tony stood up then, looking from the director to Gibbs, and shook his head. "No...Vance is right. I'm going home.. "

Gibbs turned to look at him, completely dumbfounded, as Vance nodded, and then left.

Once the director had left, Tony smiled. "I'll go home, grab my files, and meet you at your place Boss...maybe we can find something in my case files from the past year.."

Gibbs's jaw, which had been hanging just an inch or so above the floor, lifted and met the rest of it.. "Okay! Abby, keep checking those fingerprints. McGee, see what you can find out about that video...and check on recent parolees from Tony's cases...Tony I'll drive you.."

He grabbed Tony's shoulder and guided him back toward the elevator._At least we're doing something.._ Gibbs thought to himself as the elevator door whirred closed. **Bing. **

*A young Ziva leapt across the stage as music thrummed in the background of her memory. Finally came the last _deboulé en manège, _and Ziva felt a little dizzy as she curtseyed to the audience, her eyes searching the crowd for the familiar face of her father, only to realize he hadn't come to this performance either_._ "_He never comes." _ She pouted into her mother's shoulder later.. Why was her father so bent on letting the girl down?

A/N: Ok, so my writer's block is taking a break apparently.. :D Hope you enjoy! Review Review Review!

Thanks!


	10. Initiate

Shock Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This story is my own creation, but the characters (or most of them) belong to CBS, D. Belisario, whoever wrote the original story, etc... I don't own them, but I'm jealous of those who do!

Initiate

Tony sat on the stool next to the little boat in Gibb's basement, tossing files onto the work bench. None of these folders containing case records for the past few years held any sort of clue..

_If they harm one hair on her head...if something happens to the baby.. _ **Shhhhff. Shhhhhfff. Phhht. ** The last of the stack landed on the work bench, and Tony stood up. "I still don't see anything.. we need more to go on..I've put away a lot of criminals, Gibbs...

"I know, Tony." Gibbs nodded, adding the last of his files to the pile too. "But until we find more direction, we go with what we can. We will find her.."

"Hey boss." McGee's face appeared on the steps as Gibbs finished speaking. "Using another computer, I managed to trace the data from the email back to a cafe downtown.. I have photos of everyone in the cafe at the time the video was emailed..they had a decent camera set up..."

McGee held the file out to Gibbs, then, thinking twice of it, handed it to Tony. "Sorry.." He said, with a shrug to Gibbs.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at McGee, then waited patiently for Tony to look through the photos. He was half way through the stack when he paled, lifting his eyes to Gibbs. "I know who has her." He turned the stack of pictures toward Gibbs. The photo on top was of a man appearing to be about 50 years old, slightly grayed hair. Though the picture was blurry, the uniform he wore was obvious.

"A former partner, Tony?"

Tony shook his head. The lettering on the name plate, though blurry, was unmistakeable. "No... the uniform...if you look closely.." Tony couldn't get his words straight. He took a deep breath. "It's my uniform, Gibbs.. from when I was on Homicide in Peoria. Bastard's been in my apartment, I . His name is Michael Opale. I thought he was killed in an explosion that killed two officers in '97. He was a pledger in the Alpha Chi Delta fraternity, only he didn't make it, couldn't stomach the initiation. After he failed the initiation, he disappeared.. he turned up in '97, long enough to kill a few of the other Alpha Chi Deltas...he detonated a homemade bomb in his house when we went to arrest him.. took out two good officers...he was trying to kill me.. I'd tried to convince the captain to let me go on my own, but he insisted we all went."

Tony frowned. "We found a body in the house, DNA was a match to Michael's."

Gibbs grabbed his gun and badge and headed for the door. "Let's go."

McGee followed closely, but Tony hesitated, looking at the picture again. His stomach was tied in knots. This guy had been vicious in his attacks...the first brother killed had been dismembered, his parts found in three different locations. The second had been killed execution style; one bullet to the head, the third brother had been found with his throat sliced open. There had been no mercy for any of them, no defensive wounds. From what they had been able to tell, he had not held any of his victims captive before killing them.

Was Ziva already dead? Had the happiness he'd known for the past 24 hours already ended?

"DiNozzo. Come on." Gibbs called back over his shoulder from the top of the stairs.

Tony tried to shake himself free of his fears as he moved to follow them out of the basement. _It's my fault, if she's dead...just like it's my fault those officers died. Just like it's my fault the brothers are dead.. Dear God, please let Ziva and the baby be ok.. _

**Phhht... Whhhirrr. **

Ziva opened her eyes again, looking around the empty room. Her torso felt heavy, as if there was a brick on her chest, but looking down she didn't see anything different with her machanical sound she had heard before continued. She no longer felt cramps in her abdomen, and felt devastated by the possibilities that that could mean. She had known about the baby for only a short time, but in that short time, she had come to be excited about the idea of having a little one, and sharing a future with Tony. Where was Tony? Was he alive? Was he looking for her? Would he still want to try a relationship if something happened to the baby...?

**Click, squeak, creak. ** The sound of a door whose hinges were in need of oil opening pulled her from her momentary woes, and she turned her eyes toward the small beam of light that came through the opened door. She could hear traffic outside the room, where before all she'd been able to hear was the fan in the computer that was in the room. Whoever had entered walked toward her, their shoes muffled on what she could now tell was a carpeted floor by the scuff of the footwear with each step. In a voice that was altered by a voice changer, she heard a snicker, and then "It'll be easy to make him suffer...he made it too easy.."

**Click. **She blinked her eyes against the sudden brightness of a desk lamp, the beam angled at her. _Look for clues, listen, smell..._ She thought, trying to find things that would help, if she was able to get to a phone. **Chh...click... **A familiar sound, what was it...she had heard it often. **BANG!...Thud.** She felt something hit her chest, a heavy, painful something. Her chest felt like it was on fire, and when she looked down, gasping for breath, she saw dark oozing blood. "Tony..." She cried before everything went dark.

A/N: Please don't hate me! Review instead!


	11. Too Soon

Shock 11

Disclaimer: I don't own them, just love them!

The box was delivered to Tony's desk just as they returned from Gibb's house to the office, and Abby was waiting impatiently for Tony to arrive. As he went to pick the box up, she cleared her throat. "It's evidence, Tony...gloves." She said, before he touched the box.

He winced, pulling his hand back as if inside was some dark terror. Abby watched anxiously. Not only had someone taken Ziva, but they were hurting her "big brother" too. She wanted to exact a painful and deliberate revenge on this person... _A slow and miserable death..._ she thought, watching as, gloved, Tony lifted the box. He carefully peeled back the brown paper wrapping, pulled the clear packing tape off the ends of the box, and then opened it, half expecting a bomb to detonate as he pulled the fuse or something, but expelling a nervous breath, he lifted the sides of the box and revealed its content. It was only a dvd.. not a gruesomely wrapped severed finger, not a bomb, a dvd. With a glance to Gibbs and McGee for permission, he slid the disc into the dvd player attached to the overhead.

The room was dark, and the only audio was what sounded like breathing, until a door opened and cast light on the lone occupant of the room, Ziva. The camera was near the door, so there was no way of seeing who entered, but Ziva was staring in the camera's direction, fear evident on her face, though it was also obvious she was trying not to show it. The sound of a round slamming into the chamber of a gun was heard, and then **BANG! Thud. ** Ziva's softly spoken "Tony" was covered by Tony's cries of "No, no...no.." as the light reflected off the blood on Ziva's chest and she closed her eyes, becoming still.

In the office, everyone had flinched with the sound of the gun shot. Abby had buried her head in McGee's shoulder. Gibbs' jaw had tightened, his fists growing white on the back of the chair he'd been gripping when Tony had slid the disc into the player. Tony just sat there, pale, still, his hands covering his eyes as if he could erase what he'd just seen and heard. McGee wrapped his arms protectively around Abby.

**Bing.** They all flinched again. **Whiiirrr** The elevator opened, and Ducky stepped out, walking the handful of steps to where Gibbs' team was set up in the bull pen. By their expressions, he guessed why they were upset. "Well now.. what do you intend to do about it? This guy is still out there, Jethro." His voice cracked as he spoke Jethro's name. "Where's his file? I'll see what I can tell you about the...suspect."

"We hadn't...we just got back from Gibb's place." McGee replied. Despair pulled at the team as McGee released Abby so that he could bring up Opale's criminal history. It took a while for the search of his name to bring up a record, which Tim assumed was because the man had been declared dead nearly two decades before.

Ducky sat beside Tony, listening to the man's sobs. The doctor was somewhat releived, actually, by Tony's tears. He had feared complete denial, or aggression on Tony's part, but Tony was expressing his greif in a normal healthy way. Tears slid down Ducky's cheeks just as they did everyone else's, but the team needed someone to hold them together just now.

Ducky eyed Gibbs. _It's too soon, too close to Jenny's death, too soon.. he's not really had time to cope with the loss of Kate, Jenny, Franks, and now, Ziva._

Abby glanced at Ziva's empty desk.. for a moment wondering who would replace her best friend in the office, and vowing to herself never to get close to another NCIS agent... she couldn't handle losing her family..not like this...not one at a time to cruel murders. She took a deep breath. "Ducky's right. I have work to do." She grabbed some of Tim's rubber gloves, scooped up the packaging from the disc, slid the disc out of the player and zipped them all into evidence bags, then headed for the elevator.

Ducky nodded, watching the forensic scientist go. Abby was a remarkably strong woman, he decided. They could all pull through this. They would.. even Tony.

And catching the suspect, dead or alive, would help.

A/N: Just kept going after the last chapter...I know this is short, but the next chapter...which will probably have to wait a week or so, should be a good one, I promise!


	12. Medic

Shock

Chapter 12

Medic

"Yes!" Abby exclaimed, eying the blinking green light on her computer screen while she waited. **Bing.** She half smiled to herself as once again, Gibbs appeared as if on cue. 'Hey Gibbs!" She looked over at him, not surprised that this time he hadn't brought her caf-pow...not today. It wasn't a happy day. She turned back to the screen. "The prints are a match for Michael Opale. He left them all over the package Gibbs, either this guy doesn't care if he gets caught, or...he wants to be found."

Gibbs nodded. "The question is why?"

"I don't know Gibbs." She replied as she documented the search and printed the results. "The post mark was for Alexandria." She added. "The City Place Cafe where Opale used the internet was not far from Ziva's apartment... he must have followed Tony there..."

"So does he live in Alexandria?"

McGee arrived as Gibbs asked his question. "It's likely, according to his records his mother owned a house there. The deed is under his younger sister's name, but it is possible he's staying there.."

"Probably. Gear up, McGee. I want the bomb squad on call, just in case. No one moves without my order, understand? Where's Tony?"

"Bullpen." McGee replied.

"Not alone?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tim with concern.

"Ducky was there with him when I came down, boss."

Gibbs nodded, then headed back toward the elevator. "good work Abs." He called back over his shoulder, then continued on his way. "Coming, McGee?" **Bing.**

A short time later they were all standing outside the Opale residence, the bomb squad geared up. When they received the all's clear, Gibbs' team approached, warrent in hand. Something in his gut told him that all was not right, that something was out of place. When they burst through the door it seemed like gun shots were ricocheting everywhere. **Ping. Twang. Bang. Ping. ** Gibbs and McGee both stepped back, hunkering down until they realized that it was a stereo, set to turn on and start playing once the door was opened. They rose as one, Gibbs signalling to Tim to be careful, as they moved through the ground floor of the house, clearing the three rooms, the bathroom, kitchen and livingroom. Gibbs signalled to Tim to go ahead upstairs, waiting for the "Clear" before heading for the cellar door. The door was locked. Gibbs used a debit card he withdrew from his wallet to slide open the latch, rather than forcing the door. As he opened the door, he heard a shuffling sound from the room below. McGee came up behind him at the door. Gibbs stepped slowly down the stairs, aware that he was walking blind into what could very well be a trap.

They both descended into the dark, their mag-lites shining over cement walls. The cellar was divided in half by a wooden wall, but the lack of natural light, the gray of the cement walls, made Gibbs sure this was where Ziva had been in the video. Gibbs motioned to Tim to stay still as he walked forward, carefully pulling the door open with gloved hands, not sure if he was prepared for the sight that might await him within.

**Whiirrrr. Ffft. Whiiirrrr. Pppht. **

In a chair in the middle of the room was Ziva's body, her head angled to the side away from them. Her hands were still bound behind her back, her ankles to the chair legs. He could still see the shine of her blood on her chest. Gibbs' eyes watered as he walked toward her, reaching out his hand, he hesitated. This was a crime scene. He shouldn't touch anything until Ducky got here.

Suddenly, Gibbs noticed something he hadn't when he'd first entered. Ziva's chest rose and fell, almost in tandem with the whirring of the computer. "Tim!" He called as he slid his hand over the blood on Ziva's chest. He pulled his hand toward his face, smelling the sticky substance, and laughing. "it smells sweet...it's sticky...Ziva!" Relief washed over him as his voice caused her to stir.

Dark brown eyes winced in the light of his flashlight. "Gibbs? Gibbs...is that you?" She asked, her mouth dry as if she hadn't had a sip of water since her capture.

"Ziva, you're a sight for a sore heart." McGee called over Gibbs's laughs, as he pushed the button on his walkie to call for a medic.


	13. Heart beat

Disclaimer: Yes, I realize I forgot the disclaimer with the last chapter. I posted it late, and I was tired and just plain forgot. Point is, I don't own them, just this little story.

Shock

Chapter 13

**Honk. Honk!** Abby slammed the horn of the SUV she drove. She hated driving this thing. It was big and awkward in traffic. Beside her, Tony sat in the same stony silence he'd assumed when the video of Ziva being shot had been shown in the office. He still didn't know. She didn't think he'd heard her when she said Ziva was alive. Either that, or he hadn't believed her. It had been easy to lead him to the car, to get him in and buckled, and to get the thing headed to the hospital, he hadn't resisted her moving him along like a puppet. She frowned, at him and then back at the line of traffic that was finally starting to move ahead of them.

As they pulled into the hospital parking garage, the tires squealed. Abby smirked. Ducky sat in the back seat, his head in his hands. He'd known that Ziva was not one to ride with, but apparently Abby, when someone she cared about was at the hospital, drove like a demon. He too had tried to explain to Tony that Ziva was alive, and as far as everyone knew, doing pretty well in comparison to the state they'd recently believed her to be in, but what Tony had seen in the video had too deeply hurt. Ducky hoped that seeing Ziva alive would bring Tony back from this state of shock.

They both managed to pull Tony from the car, and into the elevator. Finally he said "I don't need to see a doctor..I know what's wrong with me."

Ducky looked at him, tilting his head to the side. "Tony, Ziva is alive, she's here, and she's been asking for you for the past 20 minutes."

Tony's eyes focused on Ducky for a moment before he answered. "I saw her get shot...I saw her die.. the baby.." Tony looked down again, and was lost once more to the gloomy silence.

**Bing.** _I can't believe she's gone, but I saw it with my own eyes. I know they're lying, they're just trying to get me to see a doctor. It's cruel of them to tell me she's alive when I saw her get shot. _

Lights flashed overhead as they walked the halls of Bathesda. Finally they stopped in the waiting room, and McGee stood up from his seat. "Gibbs is in with her."

Gibbs walked out of one of the nearby doors, and seeing Tony, shook his head. _Must I always do this?_ He sighed, walking over to his agent, he smacked the back of his head. **Thwack!** "Tony, Get in there!" He said.

Tony looked at Gibbs, focusing once more, he walked into the room Gibbs had just walked out of. _Could it be true? Could she really...Could they really be...alive?_

Ziva lay on the hospital bed, her dark hair feathered around her face. A machine beeped, ticker paper sliding out. An IV line was attached to her arm. A blanket drawn up over her covered the abdoman that she hardly dared hope still held their tiny baby. Her hands rested over her stomach, wishing she knew. They were still waiting for the ultrasound, to see if the baby's heart was beating.

As Tony walked in, Ziva saw the despair in his eyes, his body, the way he held himself, the pride, the ego gone out of him. "Tony" She called to him, raising one of her hands as her dark brown eyes looked him over. She held the hand out to him, hoping he'd take it.

He walked toward her, his eyes having the look of disbelief, as if he doubted what they saw. He reached out, not sure if his hands would meet hers, or if he was imagining things...but when they touched, it was like fireworks in his mind. He wrapped his hand around hers tightly, pulling himself closer to her before he sank into the chair, tears streaming down his cheeks just as they did hers. "I thought I lost you.." He said, dropping his head on his hands to hide the sobs of relief. Ziva's other hand came to rest on his head, softly running fingers through his hair.

"I'm dehydrated, but not lost, Tony.. I'll be fine.. the baby..." Her voice caught in her throat and Tony lifted his head. She wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes this time.. he was so confused, and she couldn't read him. _I hope that if something did happen to the baby...that doesn't mean we can't be together. I love him. I think I've always loved him._

"Ziva, did you lose the baby?" He asked, his voice as steady as he could make it after the sobs of a moment before.

She frowned, the hand that had rested on his head moving back to her stomach. "I had some really painful cramps, while I was in the cellar. I don't know, there was some spotting. The doctor says it's possible that the baby's fine. It was only a few days." Her eyes welled with tears. _It felt like a lifetime, without you, Tony._

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, surprising her. "I love you, Ziva. No matter what happens. When I thought I'd lost you, it was like my world just ended. I didn't want to keep going without you." He said, sitting back down.

Before anything else could happen, the door creaked open and an ultrasound technician came in, pulling a cart with her. She smiled. "Hey there! You must be Tony." She said, as she drew the cart up beside the bed and lifted the wand for the ultrasound. "Now Ziva, I'm going to have you slide down a little if you can, and put your legs up on the ends of the bed.. this may be a little uncomfortable, but it's the easiest way to get a heart beat this early.."

She waited patiently for Ziva to settle, and then began the ultrasound. They both turned their attention to the screen, Tony's hand finding Ziva's as they saw first a black screen, and then white shapes began to appear. The nurse pointed out the things they were seeing, showing where the tiny little ring was that was the embryo, and then, as she shifted the wand, she showed the even tinier little flickering spot.

_It's so small.. _ went through both of their minds as they turned to look at each other, both smiling in awe at the sight of their little baby's heart beating rapidly, they both looked back at the screen to watch the rest of the ultrasound, both smiling broadly.

The nurse removed the wand, and smiled. "Well, it looks like the little one is growing right on schedule." She patted Ziva's leg reassuringly as another nurse came in. "You can get more comfortable now." She added, standing up and pushing the cart out as the other nurse came in to check the IV bag. "Once we get you hydrated again, Ziva, you'll be able to go home." The new nurse smiled. "How are you feeling?" She asked, as she checked the other devices in the room, reading the ticker sheet and smiling back up at them.

Ziva grinned from ear to ear. "Ready to go home." She replied softly, squeezing Tony's hand. Everything was perfect, until she looked up to meet Tony's troubled eyes. "Tony?"

He frowned, feeling the happiness flowing through her he wanted to be happy too, but the realization that Michael Opale was still on the loose had caught him suddenly, that someone could still hurt his beautiful Ziva, and their unborn child...that someone was still out there, probably scheming another way to hurt them.

A/N Dunh Dunh Dunh... Review please! Thank you all to those who reviewed the last chapter! It was nice to get some feed back :D


	14. Collision

Disclaimer: I don't own em…

Shock

Chapter 14:

Christmas was nearly upon them, and Tony had gone overboard with the holiday shopping. He'd purchased onesies of every color, (and shade..), for the baby, due around Christmas day. Seven and a half months had passed since Ziva had been abducted, and time had worn down the wariness, the fear that Opale was still out there. They searched, often, for him, but no leads every panned out.

Ziva, huge in her current condition had taken to working half days at her desk, and spending the remainder of her time studying "What to expect when you're expecting" and other such books. Tony insisted on knowing where she was every second of the day, calling frequently to check in and reassure himself of her safety.

Ziva finished wrapping the last gift and with a sigh of relief, and self-accomplishment, she stashed it in the back of Tony's sock drawer. She smirked, knowing he would never check there, before making her way to the kitchen for a snack. After fixing ants on a log (Celery w/ pb and raisins..) she settled on the couch to watch an episode of "A Baby Story."

She had dozed off, and napped for about fifteen minutes when her cell phone rang. She lifted it, saw it was Abby's lab calling, and flipped open the phone. "Abs, what's up?"

The first thing she heard was Abby saying "She needs to know." To McGee, and then "Ziva, it's Tony..."

_Oh god. _Ziva sat forward. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she struggled to rise from the couch. "What is it? What's happened?" She finally stood up, heading for the door to slip on her boots and coat.

"He got a call and rushed off, he didn't say anything about where he was going, but…he left a note... Gibbs is going to come get you."

"I'll be there in a few minutes Abby." Ziva replied, as if she hadn't heard her friend say that Gibbs was on his way. She was out the door, and in the little Impala they had bought for a family vehicle, within seconds of getting off the phone with Abby.

_A note? What note would make Tony run off without saying anything?…..oh god…Opale. _Ziva knew without a doubt that Tony had received some sort of tip on Opale, it was the only reason he'd go anywhere so hastily, without even contacting her, without calling Gibbs.

She was about half way to the office when a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen caught her by surprise and instinctively she wrapped one hand around her stomach, trying hard not to jerk the steering wheel as she went through an intersection. **Screech. Crunch! **It happened so fast. The car was spinning. And then it wasn't.

Gibbs was on his way to Tony and Ziva's apartment, driving an NCIS SUV when he saw the debris of an accident at an intersection, saw an ambulance pulling up to the scene. His eyes scanned the area and landed on the Impala. _You couldn't just stay put could you Ziva. I was coming to get you. _He pulled up beside the ambulance, pulling off to the corner where there was an empty parking space before climbing out of the Explorer. He approached the nearest officer. "Any fatalities?" He asked, flashing his badge. 

"We didn't call you guys in yet... was just getting ready to after pulling her ID."

Gibbs wanted to strangle the man. "What's her condition?"

"Beat up pretty bad, but the impact against the driver's side door was minimal, happened when the car spun back into the truck that hit it. Said she hit the wheel…was complaining of stomach pain." _Oh good, she is conscious… _The officer kept writing notes down on a note pad and glancing back at the accident. "Other driver was fine though. 1-tons can take a lot of beating before they even get scratched. He had minor abrasions on his head and left arm. He ran the red light though."

Gibbs had watched the first team of responders prying open the door of Ziva's car while listening to the officer describe what had happened. Once the officer was done talking, Gibbs had walked over toward Ziva, as an EMT wrapped the neck brace around her neck and carefully helped pull her from the car. One of the men held the stretcher still while the other helped her to sit, and then they settled her back against the pillow and lifted her legs. Gibbs saw more blood than he liked, she had cuts and scrapes from the window glass. _When I see that boy…_

The lights on the ambulance flashed as they loaded her into it. Ziva's eyes met his, and Gibbs saw the panic, the concern, the pain, there. He stopped them from closing the doors. "I'm coming with you."

"GIBBS!" Ziva exclaimed, seeing him for the first time. "Where is Tony?" She asked, slightly more subdued as the sirens kicked on, and Gibbs settled in the seat indicated by the EMT after the silver haired man flashed his badge.

Gibbs watched as her face contorted in pain, her hands wrapping around her huge belly. For a moment her dark brown eyes held only intense concentration, and then they returned to him. The EMT worked at cleaning up the blood, locating the wounds and applying bandage tape to them. Most of them were minor.

"I'm not sure, but McGee's trying to track the last call to his cell… we'll find him…what happened in the accident?"

Ziva frowned. "I had a contraction, and took my hand off the wheel, I heard the collision before I felt it.. I should have been paying better attention."

"You SHOULD have waited for me, Ziva. I was coming to get you."

Ziva's eyes fell to her stomach. She wished now that she'd been patient, and waited for him. She worried over the outcome… the baby was not due for two more weeks. _She's not premature, but it's still early…and where's Tony? He should be here…maybe, if she's ok ay, they can stop the delivery…delay it… _

Their arrival at the hospital was met with an OB-GYN, a pediatrician, and a few nurses.

"Stay with me Gibbs?" She asked as they lowered the stretcher out of the bus and wheeled it to the emergency room doors.

He glanced at the doctor, who nodded and then smiled. "Are you sure? I could be looking for Tony?"

She seemed torn. She wanted Tony with her, but she didn't want to be alone…and if Tony was after Opale; it had been months since they'd had a lead. There was a good chance it was a false trail. She shook her head. "He needs to deal with Opale…he hasn't slept well in 8 months…sure Michael would come after him or me, or the baby…I want to know the baby is safe once she is born."

Gibbs nodded. _I just hope Tony's safe right now.._ He'd call the team once they got settled.

A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I've been trying to decide how to continue with this story. Reviews are appreciated!


	15. The Cafe

Disclaimer: Not my chars, but my story, though character traits belong mostly to writers of NCIS and show owners.

Shock

Chapter 15:

_**Ring…..Ring…..Ring…..**_Tony frowned, glancing at his personal cell phone, which was usually silent while he was at work, after all, no one but the team ever called him, and they used the work phone while he was working…..besides, that was not a team-member's ring tone, just the generic for an unknown caller. He lifted the flip phone to his ear. "Hello." He said, grabbing for a pen and a piece of paper in case he needed to write down a name or number. "It's Michael. I've been watching your lady friend….I know a couple looking for a newborn…..they're offering an irresistible amount for her. Meet me at the City Place...alone, in half an hour. "

_**Click. **_ There was silence. _You goddamned son of a bitch!_ Tony thought to himself as he shoved his phone in his pocket. He wasn't going to wait around while Opale stole his child. He pulled the pen and paper toward himself, writing out in his scrawl:

"**Opale called. Get to Ziva. Keep her safe. I'll be back soon."**

He grabbed his gun and badge out of the drawer, put the note on Gibbs desk and left, without a word. _If I said something to them, they'd insist on going, they'd take too long._ He justified to himself as he took the elevator to the garage.

About 20 minutes later, he pulled up outside the café, and using his camera, took photos of the cars around the place, careful to get license plates in his picture. He felt like he was dumb to come alone, but at least this gave them a chance… he dropped the camera into his car, and headed into the café.

He walked up to the counter, and speaking softly, showing his badge discreetly, asked if he could talk to her privately for a moment. She smiled as if she knew that he needed her to downplay this.

"Yeah, sure toots, I'll show you where it is." She said, as if he'd asked where the restroom was, and she led him off to the side and down a narrow hall.

When they stepped into the restroom, he quickly explained what was up. "Listen, there's someone, I'm sure they're in the café already, who claims he's going to steal my kid. He told me to come alone. What I need you to do, is take my phone, and take pictures, as unnoticeably as you can, of whoever sits or walks by me, or anyone who appears to be watching me. When I'm gone, send them to Abs on my phone. She'll know what to do with them. I'll come back for my phone if I can.." He handed her a five. "This is for the coffee. Leave my table alone until you hear from me, or the cops." He left the restroom without saying any more, afraid that too long an absence would raise questions. He wiped his hands on his jacket as he made his way back to the table as if he were drying them off.

He walked quietly to a table and sat down, picking up the menu as if he intended to order. A different waitress came over, smiling and brandishing her pen. "Heya, what can I get for you?" She asked with a smile.

"Just a coffee, please. Black, no sugar."

She nodded, replacing the pen and paper and headed back to the counter to retrieve the coffee. That was always an easy order. She set it down next to him and he grabbed a newspaper someone had left on a nearby table, flipping through it while attempting to keep an unnoticeable watch on the others in the café.

About fifteen minutes after he arrived, a Hispanic man walked over, sat down and slid a piece of folded paper across the counter, then got up and left. Tony read the note then placed it on his napkin, and finished his coffee. He stood and walked out the door, hoping the waitress would follow his instructions.

He walked toward his car, but Opale walked up to him, reaching forward to shake his hand with a pleasant grin, flashed a gun barrel at Tony, and then guided him toward a ford pickup two spaces in front of Tony's. He opened the door as if being friendly, and in the same motion managed to disarm Tony. "Get in." He ordered as the agent climbed in. It was a swift motion, practiced, and Tony didn't have time to counter it, so he did as he was told, his mind racing on ways to turn the tables on Opale.

Meanwhile, behind him, the waitress was at the window, photographing everything with her digital camera. She knew the cops would come after she'd sent the photos Tony had requested, but she figured better quality pictures would be more helpful than the poor quality of a cell phone. Opale never noticed the attentive waitress, who as they pulled away even attempted to get a shot of the license plate. After the truck was out of sight, she turned back to the table and photographed that, in case something happened in the meantime. The note said only "Outside." It was printed.

A/N: I'll try to update w/ another chapter tomorrow. Reviews welcome! Thank you to Robern, who has reviewed regularly throughout the story!


	16. Little White Bears

Shock

Chapter 16

Gibbs held Ziva's hand as the wave of pain washed over her. Her labor had progressed so quickly there hadn't even been time yet for an ultrasound to determine the child's well being, and Ziva was afraid for the baby, and for Tony.

Gibbs grimaced as her grip on his hand proved hers the stronger. "Ziva, breath, in….out.." He said, offering breaths of his own as examples (in an attempt to get him through the pain she was inflicting on his hands.)

_Tony should be here. _Gibbs thought, glancing toward his watch, and then the door. _She's already only two minutes apart, wherever he's at; he's not going to make it. I should be looking for him, but she shouldn't be alone…_

He was torn between wanting to be out there, looking for Tony and following whatever lead he'd taken off after and knowing that Ziva needed someone there for her.

_**Beep. Beep. **_ Machines for monitoring were hooked up to her stomach and wrist, a fluid iv inserted into her hand. She was pale, her hair damp from sweat, and the bandages on her forehead, cheeks and upper left arm were stained pink from the blood that had leaked through after the accident.

_She's scared. _He thought, frowning for a moment before another contraction, sooner than he expected, distracted him and he began breathing for her again. Her dark brown eyes turned to his for a moment as it began, then grew wider as she held her stomach against the pain. _She looks as beautiful as Shannon did the day Kelley was born… _On an impulse he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Ziva's forehead.

Suddenly it was like he was there again, holding his wife's hand, stroking her beautiful dark hair and cooing soft words to her. "It will be okay, girl, it'll all be all right" he spoke aloud, though his eyes were still picturing his wife.

The doctor came in, and Gibbs, focusing back on the present, released Ziva's hand as the contraction faded. "I should go call the team, see how things are going…I'll be right back." He said, moving for the door so the doctor could examine Ziva in privacy.

He stepped out into the hall and pulled his phone from his pocket, hitting the speed-dial to Abby's lab. _**Ring…Ring…Ring… **_

"Hey Gibbs!" Abby's bubbly voice came over the phone.

"Hey Abbs, any news on Tony?"

"No, where are you? We expected you and Ziva back ages ago."

"Ziva was in an accident." He paused, hearing a gasp and a sudden rustling sound on the other end of the line as Abby nearly dropped the phone. "She's okay, minor injuries, but she's gone into labor." He paused again as another gasp followed this development.

"Tony's note said he was after Opale. The pictures from Tony's phone were of the café, I recognized it from before, but by the time Tim got there, Tony was no where to be found. His car was there, along with the camera on the driver's seat, which Tim's bringing back to me so I can check it, and then the waitress said that Tony had been there, had her take a bunch of pictures and when he left she said it was like some guy walked up to him and ushered him into a ford pick-up. She took pictures of the man and the vehicle. Tony left a note on the table, waitress said some other guy gave it to him, said no one else touched it but the guy and Tony so I'll dust that for prints."

Abby rambled on, and Gibbs tried to absorb everything, but behind him he heard Ziva yell through another contraction. "Okay, you and Tim keep on it…Tony's going to miss this baby coming into the world, Ziva needs someone with her. I'll check in with you later Abby."

"GIBBS!" Abby yelled, before he could hang up the phone.

"Yeah?" He replied, turning back toward the room.

"Grab a camera from the gift shop, ask a nurse to take photos….if he's going to miss it, pictures will be the next best thing."

Gibbs nodded, thinking to himself _I should have thought of that_. "Good thinking, Abbs." He closed the phone and headed for the gift shop.

When he walked into the gift shop, he saw the cameras right next to the register, so he grabbed one. He glanced around while waiting for the lady who ran the register to finish fiddling with a display. Before she finished, he spotted a little white stuffed bear. He flashed back again, to the day Kelley came home. His father had brought her a little white stuffed bear identical to the one on the shelf. Without thinking about it, he reached up and grabbed the bear, adding it to the camera on the counter as the woman came around and punched the keys on the register. She wasn't very chatty, which he appreciated in his hurry, as he made his purchase and headed back to Ziva.

As he walked into the room, another contraction took Ziva's concentration, so he set down his purchases and moved to her side. She looked at him, as if pleading for news of Tony, but he only shook his head, counting and breathing with the nurse. When the contraction passed, he asked the strange woman "Would you mind taking pictures, for the father….he's unable to be here."

The nurse smiled and nodded. "Sure thing." She stuffed the camera in her pocket, and left the room.

"Hey Zee, what'd the doc have to say?" Gibbs asked, using a cloth to wipe the sweat from Ziva's face. She was pale, exhaustion and stress showing in ever feature. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying and Gibbs couldn't tell if it was worry over Tony, or pain from the contractions that caused it.

"He said….everything was going well, the baby is crowning, and it won't be long now."

Gibbs nodded, lifting the bear from the table. "I got this for her." He said, tilting his head to the side and half smiling at the memories of Kelley and her little white bear. Creases showed around his eyes and mouth.

"Any news, Gibbs?" She asked seriously during the brief lull in contractions. She was still uncomfortable, but she looked as though she was afraid to move, as if moving might bring on another wave of physical pain.

"We still don't know where he is, but Abby said he left lots of evidence at the café, the one Michael sent those videos from before. It looks like he told Tony to meet him there, but by the time Tim got there neither of them were anywhere to be found. Tony left his phone there." Gibbs added, to put off questions of why no one had called him.

"Gibbs, it's time.." Ziva said, taking a deep breath.

_Oh no! Wait!_ Gibbs thought, pulling his hand from hers. "Let me get the doctor.." He stepped out the door, calling to the nurse. "She says it's time." He told her, and then went back in. From personal experience, Gibbs knew to trust Ziva's instincts, hoping the nurse would get the doctor, because he sure didn't want to be the one delivering the baby. Ziva leaned forward, pulling her knees up toward herself in a push, and Gibbs moved to stand by her shoulder. She kept pushing, her face growing red with the exertion, and Gibbs started to fear the baby was coming without the doctor, just as she stopped to take a breath and the doctor walked in the door. He let out a breath of relief as the doctor moved to the foot of the bed and lifted the sheet that was draped over Ziva's legs.

The nurse came in with the camera and began taking pictures, of Gibbs, of Ziva, of the doctor, and of the crowning baby. Gibbs was relieved that that wasn't his responsibility.

"Oh my, Ziva, you're moving right along aren't you? Alright, keep pushing." He said, leaving the sheet up as Ziva took a breath and began pushing again. Within moments, it seemed, the doctor was telling her to relax, as he lifted the aspirator and suctioned the baby's nose and mouth, and then "Push, dear. One more push." He encouraged, and with this final push, the baby came out, and Ziva collapsed back on the bed, gasping for air.

Gibbs waited. Ziva waited. For a moment there was silence. Gibbs looked at Ziva, concerned. Her big brown eyes met his, her mouth open in fear as they waited. _Dear god, not the baby…_

Gibbs tore his eyes from Ziva to look at the doctor who was rubbing the baby's chest, his brows furrowed in concentration.

Suddenly a thin wail filled the room, and with it returned the noise, the **Beep Beep **of machines, the speech of the doctor as he reassured them that the baby was going to be okay.

Gibbs watched as they placed the baby girl on Ziva's chest, rubbing her down with linens to clean off the mess of birth as they cut the cord and clamped it. For that brief moment, Ziva's eyes were bright with wonder and love, forgetting all her worries of the child's father, for a moment, before they lifted the baby away to be measured and examined.

Ziva looked up at him, and Gibbs watched as they put the baby in the incubator, holding a tiny oxygen mask to her face.

The pediatric doctor spoke to both of them. "Because she didn't breath right away, we're going to take her to the NICU to be examined for respiratory complications." He said calmly.

Suddenly Gibbs gut felt odd. "Ziva, I'm going to stay with her…" He said, looking into her eyes and hoping to relay his concern…Tony had said not to let Ziva out of his sight, but Gibbs couldn't be in two places at once. _Tony would have asked for help, if it was just Ziva…he would have come to me, but, the baby…if Opale threatened the child, then Tony would have acted rashly, he would have gone off without thinking about it…_

She nodded, releasing his hand and looking to the pediatrician who nodded his consent, that it would be okay if Gibbs came along. "Keep her safe, Gibbs…" Ziva said weakly.

Gibbs pressed another kiss to Ziva's temple. "I will, always." He whispered as he turned to follow the pediatrician and the baby out of the room.

A/N: Well, thoughts? Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming :D


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